Drum accessory



21, 1930. J MEYER 1,744,483

DRUM ACCESSORY Filed Jan. 21, 1928 A/ws NTOE:

rfa iz'us f1. M e yer.

Patented Jan. 21,1930

UNETEQ STATE JULIUS A. MEYER,

. DEtUM OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI ACCESSORY Application filed January 21,1928. Serial No. 248,398.

My invention has relation to improvements in drum accessories, that is,auxiliary apparatus used by the drummer of an orchestrafor obtainingunusual tonal effects, and it consists in the novel features ofconstruction more fully set forth in the specification and pointed outin the claims.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a pedal operateddevice comprising a drum (or cymbal) and heaters therefor, wherebywhatis known as the after-beat in jazz music may be efi'ected. The samedevice may be used for effecting swishing sounds used in imitatingcertain devices such as locomotives. While the specific form of beateremployed in my device is not new, the mounting oi the beater or pairs ofbeaters so that they may be operated by the foot, together with theapparatus whereon the beater and Z0 drum are mounted, are to myknowledge new and constitute my invention. A further object is toconstruct the apparatus so that it may be quickly taken apart andcollapsed to facilitate the handling thereof. Further ad- 5 vantageswill be better apparent from a detailed description of the invention inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational View of the a paratus with the heaters shownin normal elevated position in full lines, and in strikin position indotted lines; Fig. 2 is an elevational view taken at right angles toFig. 1 and part of the supporting standard bro en away; Fig. 3 is a topplan of the invention; Fig. t is a cross-sectional detail taken on theline of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional detail taken on the line 55of Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 is a detail of the hinged end of the pedal yoke.

Referring to the drawings, S represents a U-shaped supporting standardcomprising uprights 1 and 2 connected by a horizontal component 3, theuprights 1 and 2 being stiffened by a bar 1- extending between them neartheir upper ends and fixed in said upright A laterally projecting foot 5is re movably secured to the horizontal component 3 near the upright 2by means of a countersunk screw 6 and wing nut 7 and a pedal yoke 8 issecured to the horizontal component 3 near the upright 1 by having theinwardly turned extremities 9, 9 of yoke members 10, 10 inserted in eyesor perforated lugs 11, 11 projecting upwardly from a plate 12 which ispermanently secured to component 3. The upper end of upright 1 is bentoutwardly at 1 and upwardly to form a tapered finger 13, and ured to theupright at the base oi the horizontal portion 12 is a bracket hinge 14to which is hinged by means of a pin 15 a plate 16. The plate 16 ismaintained in elevated position by means or" a coiled spring 1'4", oneend of which is secured in an eye 18 projecting from finger 13 and theother end secured in an eye 19 projecting from plate 16. A stud 2Oterminating at one end in an eye 21 is permanently fixed in the plate 16near its free end with the eye 21 on the under side of the plate and aclamp comprising a pair of members 22, 22 secured together by means ofscrews 23, 23 is mounted on the stud 20 and secured in place by means ofa wing-nut 2 1. Obviously, the plate 16 is provided with perforations 0through which project the screws 23, 23, thereby firmly holding theclamp against rotating. The clamp 22, 22 serves as a holder for heaters25, 25, the ends of clamp members 22, 22 being shaped to firmly engagethe tubes 26, 26 in which the heaters 25 are mounted. Each beater 25comprises a rod 27 on one end of which is fixed a ball 27 and on theother end a bunch of wires or brush 28 adapted to spread on beingejected from the tube 26. No claim is made to the beater element per se,as beater elements have been used by manual manipulation heretofore.

The members 10, 10 of pedal yoke 8 are connected by a transverse member29 on which is hinged a pedal 30, said pedal being provided withperforated ears 31,31 in spaced relation through which the member 29passes. The inner end of pedal 30 is tapered and is provided with anopening 32 to receive a hook 33 at one end of a link 34, the other endof said link being connected by means of an open eye 33 to the eye 21 onstud 20. It will be observed that the outer end of yoke members 10, 10are curved slightly upwardly at 10', 10

so that the pedal will be elevated from the floor, and a pair ofperforated blocks 35, 35 are mounted on the yoke member 29 and serve tosupport the outer extremity of the pedal 30. The upper end 2 of upright2 is bent slightly toward upright 1 and is adapted to receive on itadrum D (or c mbal if desired), the drum being provided with a cross bar36 and strap 37 secured thereto between which the extremity 2 enters.The drum D is thus firmly impaled on the upright 2 since it is preventedfrom slipping downwardly by the angle 2 formed by the inwardly bentextremity 2.

In the operation of my drum accessory, the drummer determines whether hewishes to strike the drum with the balls or with one ball and one brush,and adjusts the beaters in the clamp 22, 22 accordingly, after which, asthe necessity arises, he merely actuates the pedal 30 with his foot toeffect the desired sounds. Upon releasing the pedal 30, the spring 17will, of course, retract the plate or heater carrier 16. It will beobserved that the pedal yoke 8 may be readily disengaged from theperforated lugs 11, 11 by pressing outwardly on the arms 10, 10 and thatthe hook 33 may be easily disengaged from the pedal 30, and the operatorthereby enabled to shift the pedal 30 to the opposite side of thestandard S should he find it more convenient to operate the device inthis manner. The apparatus may be easily dismantled and quicklycollapsed for carrying by simply performing the following operationsafter having removed the drum D The wing-nut 7 is loosened and the foot5 swung into alinement with component 3, the wing-nutbeing then againfastened, the pedal 30 disengaged from the hook 33 allowing the innerend of the pedal to fold fiat against the yoke 8 and the pedal and yokeassembly swung upwardly against the rod 4 in substantial parallelismwith uprights 1 and 2, and the beater clamp removed from the beaterholder 16 by merely unscrewing the wingnut 24. After these operationshave been performed, the entire apparatus occupies but a comparativelysmall space and may be conveniently packed in a case or wrapped.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. A drum accessory comprising astandard having spaced apart uprights, one of said uprights beingadapted for supporting, a drum in a substantially horizontal plane. abeater for the drum hingedly mounted on the other upright, a movablefoot detachably secured to said standard, a pedal yoke connected to thestandard and extending laterally therefrom, a pedal hinged to said yokeand adapted for connection with the beater, said yoke and pedal beingcollapsible for folding against the standard.

2. A drum accessory comprising a stand- 7 ard having spaced apartuprights, one of said uprights being adapted for supporting a drum insubstantially horizontal plane, a beater holder having hinged connectionwith the'other upright, pedal means for actuating the beater holder, anda beater removably mounted on said beater holder.

8. A drum accessory comprising a standard having spaced apart uprights,one of said uprights being adapted for supporting a drum, a heaterholder having hinged connection with the other upright, a clampremovably secured to said beater holder, a pair of beaters firmly heldin spaced relation by said clamp, and spring and pedal means foractuating the beater holder.

4. A drum accessory comprising a standard having spaced apart uprights,one of said uprights being adapted for supporting a drum, a heaterholder having hinged connection with the other upright, a pair ofperforated lugs on the base of said standard, a pedal yoke adapted foreither right or left hand hinge connection with said lugs, and a pedalconnected to said pedal yoke and beater handle and adapted for treadleaction for oscillating the beater handle to strike said drum.

5. A drum accessory comprising a standard having spaced apart uprights,one of said uprights being adapted for supporting a drum,

the other upright having a hinge bracket secured to it near its upperend, a beater holder hingedly connected to said hinge bracket, a coiledspring connected between the upright and heater holder, a clampremovably secured to said holder, a pair of beaters frictionally engagedin spaced relation by the clamp members, a pedal connected to saidstandard and adapted for treadle action, and a connecting link betweensaid pedal and beater holder.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

JULIUS A. MEYER.

